Australia vs. South Africa, 3rd ODI, 2014: Highlights, Scorecard and Report

Australia took a 2-1 lead in their five-match series against South Africa with a 73-run victory at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. 

Australia batted first after winning the toss and made the most of the afternoon conditions to score 329-5 in their 50 overs, anchored by a century from Aaron Finch at the top of the order and finished by a flowing knock of 73 not out from Steven Smith.

South Africa started well through Hashim Amla but appeared to have slipped behind the required run rate until AB de Villiers stepped out to the middle.

When he fell after his 34-ball 52, so too did the Proteas' challenge, and they were ultimately bowled out for 256.

Batsman	Dismissal	Bowler	Runs	Mins	Balls
Finch		b de Villiers	109	166	127
Warner	c de Villiers	b Philander	53	88	50
Watson	c Miller	b Behardien	40	44	38
Smith	not out		73	80	55
Bailey	c du Plessis	b M Morkel	12	17	15
M Marsh	c de Villiers	b M Morkel	22	14	13
Wade	not out		8	13	6
Extras	4nb 7w 0b 1lb	12
Total	for 5 (50.0 ovs)	329
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
M Morkel	10.0	0	84	2
Philander	10.0	0	70	1
Steyn	10.0	0	53	0
Behardien	8.0	0	39	1
Tahir	6.0	0	40	0
de Villiers	6.0	0	42	1

Australia, bowled out cheaply in the previous game, made an altogether better start to their innings in Canberra when Finch and David Warner combined for a 118-run partnership.

Morne Morkel, fresh off career-best figures in the previous game, was hit to all parts of the ground, while Vernon Philander fared little better. Dale Steyn, so often impossible to resist, sent down 10 wicketless overs costing 53 runs.

With South Africa stacking their batting for the match, captain de Villiers turned to Farhaan Behardien and even himself to try to stem the tide.

To a certain degree it worked—with Berhardien's figures the most economical and included the wicket of Shane Watson. De Villiers, not long ago the Proteas' wicketkeeper, bowled Finch on 109 as he looked to slog.

But with Australia batting deep, there were always attack-minded strikers of the ball to come in, and so the momentum did not slip as the innings closed.

Under the lights at the Manuka Oval, it looked as if the ball was getting progressively harder to get away for the Proteas batsmen.

Batsman	Dismissal	Bowler	Runs	Mins	Balls
Total	for 9 (44.3 ovs)	256
Amla		b Hazlewood	102	166	115
de Kock	c M Marsh	b Hazlewood	47	74	53
du Plessis	c Warner	b M Marsh	17	31	21
Rossouw	c Wade	b Starc	2	6	5
de Villiers	lbw	b Richardson	52	46	34
Behardien	c Finch	b Hazlewood	12	36	12
Miller	lbw	b Starc	3	6	6
Philander	c Finch	b Starc	1	10	12
Steyn	c M Marsh	b Starc	12	6	6
M Morkel	not out		0	5	4
Extras	1nb 2w 0b 5lb	8
Bowler	Overs	Maidens	Runs	Wickets
Starc	8.0	1	32	4
Hazlewood	9.3	0	51	3
Watson	6.0	0	47	0
Richardson	8.0	0	49	1
Doherty	6.0	0	31	0
M Marsh	7.0	0	41	1

Amla played with his customary poise and even pace, while Quinton de Kock struck a feisty 47 to get the reply off to a good start.

Matt King/Getty Images

As Faf du Plessis came and went for 17, however, and Rilee Roussouw once again failed to make an impression, thoughts turned once again to whether South Africa are batting De Villiers too low down the order.

The game looked to be drifting away until he entered the fray—but his wide range of shots, flicks and bravura brought the contest back in the balance.

A stand of 76 with Amla—now firmly on his way to his 17th ODI century—gave South Africa a platform for the final overs, but after De Villiers fell for 52, using his review in vain for a plumb lbw at the hands of Kane Richardson, the writing was on the wall.

Amla soon followed, bowled for 102 by Josh Hazlewood, while David Miller could then have benefited from having the review—Mitchell Starc's yorker was going down the leg side, and the LBW decision would have been overturned.

There were a couple of late hits from the likes of Steyn and Behardien, but the game had already slipped from their grasp. With Imran Tahir not coming out to bat the match was over even earlier than anticipated.

The two sides next clash in Melbourne on November 21.